Hair curler



Ot. 20,4 1953 J. PARRILLA 2,655,926

HAIR CURLER Filed March 2. 195] Snventor Y Gttomegs Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE" HAIR CURLER John Parrilla, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 2, 19151, Serial No. 213,647

This invention relates to hair curlers, and more particularly to curlers of the type having rigid slotted bodies adapted to receive strands of hair whereby the hair may be twisted about the bodies.

Various types of rigid-body hair curlers have been proposed and produced in the past. One type comprises a simple elongate member having a hand-grip portion and a curling portion provided with a slot for receiving the strands of hair. In the operation of this hair curler, the hair ends are inserted in the slot and then the curler is turned to cause the hair to be twisted about the slotted body portion of the curler. The curler is then removed and a bobby pin or other suitable device is applied to the curl to enable it to remain its shape.

Anotherl type of rigid-body hair curler consists of an elongate member having a central hand-grip portion, and having slotted end portions of diiferentdiameter disposed on opposite l sides of the hand-grip portion whereby curls `of different sizes may be formed.

In the operation of these prior curlers quite some skill was required to maintain the strands vof hair in the slot prior to and during the operation of twisting the hair about the curler. Not only did this operation require skill, but it also necessitated the use of two hands most of the time.

The above disadvantages of these prior curlers Vare obviated by the present invention, and an object of the invention is to provide an improved rigid-body, slot-type hair curler which requires less skill in its operation than the prior devices,Y and which does not require constant use of both hands during the curling operation.

Another objectof the invention is to provide Y' an improved hair curler as above set forth, which( is small in size and compact, and light in weight: f

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved hair curler according to the foregoing, which is simple in construction and A economical to fabricate.

Yet anotherl object of the invention is to pro` vide an improved hair curler.. as above set forth, vwhich is simple and easy to operate, even for an inexperienced person. I

In accomplishing the above objects I provide a novel hair 'curler comprising an elongate strucf ture'having a hand-grip portion, and having a curlingy portion'provided withv a hair-receiving longitudinal slot extending,` to one 'end vof the 8 Claims. (Cl. 132-33) 'holding strands of hair inserted in the slot, for

tion the hair curler has two curling portions of diierent diameters, connected by an intermediate hand-grip portion. In this construction both of the curling portions may be provided with resilient springs for gripping the hair inserted in the slot thereof, and said springs may be formed integral with each other, of a single piece of wire or metal.

As will hereinafter be brought out in detail I provide a novel organizationwhereby the springs may be economically mass-produced and quickly f and easily assembled tothe curling member by production methods to minimize the cost of the curler;

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 1

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved hair curler made'in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional-view Ytalen through the hair curler of Fig. 1.

' of Fig. 2.l

Fig. 3 is an end view of the curler, enlarged., Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4 4 Fig. 5 is across sectional view of a curling portion of the curler, showing strands of hair vheld in place by the leaf spring. 4

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of Va modified 'Y form of curler, as provided by the invention..

vcurler shown, in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional viewofthe Fig. 8 is a view partly in section of a curler illustrating` still Vanother form of theinvention.

The improvedv hair curlerfshown in Figs'.` 1

A through 5 comprises an elongate structure generally designated bythe numeral I0, having a knurled central hand-grip portion H and .having curling portions l2 and` I3 respectively dis- '.posed on opposite sides of the hand-grip vportion Il.

The curling portions Hand-I3 areiprovicled` structure. I 4also provide resilient means extendl inthe slot of thestructure for engaging'a'nd 'Iyhe structure I0 is Vgenerallycyli'ndrical in shape, and as shown thev curling portion I3 is made of smaller diameter than the porwithhair-receiving longitudinal slots Yl=4 andul respectively, extending from'their endsto points closely adjacent thehand-'grip portionfl.

inv elevation` .andA partly I In accordance wlith the present invention, novel resilient means are provided, extending in the slots I4 and I5 of the curler for engaging and yieldably holding strands of hair which are inserted. By the provision of such means, which is preferably constituted of a leaf spring, the operation of curling the hair is greatly simplified and made easier, requiring much less skill on the part of the operator. Moreover, such resilient means enables thek curling operation to bedone partly with one hand, freeing the other hand and therefore further adding to the convenience of the device.

Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 2, the struc,- ture I may comprise elongate members I6 and I'I constituting halves which may be'r substan-` tially identical with each other, said halvesl havl ing flat sides disposed in broadside relation with portions spaced apart to form the slotsf |54 andl5?. Interposed between the members I6 and I1 is -a-ii elongate leaf spring having a central base portion I8, and having hair engaging end portiOns VI9 and 20,-, the lat-ter being disposed in the l slotsv-Iflland I5 respectively.

The member Il, may have cuts 2I and 22 inl its ends, .to accommodate-bent ends 235 and. 2.4 of the leaf spring whereby insertion of thel strands of hair-isfacilitated inasmuch as the hair will not be, caught on thel ends of the leaf spring. The

springV portions,r I9 andZ have offsets 25- and 26v Whiclrserve to correctly positionl thespring during assembly ofthe-curling structure, and which provide for a softer spring action adjacent the inner ends of the slots I4 and'` l.

Referring to.Figs.,2 and-,4the member It and;-` |51' are-held; in assembled relation by a ring or annulusrg'l whichmav be presstteclin place and 'may 'constitute the hand-grip.- pOr-tion; I i- Y of the structure4 Ii; The member I.=6; may haveV recesses 28 and the member I1 projections 29 receivable iii,v

' the 'recesses 28; tokey the, members; together.

The operation ofthe curling structureis asiellows: Strandsk of' hair 3B. as shown in Fig. 5 are inserted in one or the other of: the slots I4, I5

by the spring portions I-9 or 20. The-1 curleris then turned.V as indicated. by the. arrow in Eig. 5,

causing the hair to. be curled aboutthe slotted curler portion, forming a curl. The curler. is then 'Withdrawn While the c'urlis hel'di in place, .whereupon a bobby pin or other suitable meansmay; be

Q 'en iiil'oy'ed, to maintain the-shape of the curl',

The provisionofr the leaf springsgreatly facilitate the curling operation inthat they. retain thehair-in-the slots and enable-the curlingoperationA to be carried out'without asmuch. skill or f :care as wasfornier-ly required; f

Also the provision ofthespr-iiigi speeds upthe curlingopeiationand'y enables ail-operator to have *one'hand free part of the time, whereas previann With the inventioriis shown inFi'gs; vSands-7, T'

ously, two hands were required-most of the time.

"Another form' ofhair curler madejin accordhaincurler comprises anelongate4 member .opposite ends of the` har'id-g'r ipy portion 32.

'I-fh'ecurling. portions. 313v and` 34 have openv ended siptsgat am as. for receiving hair/whim is to be j tends an elongate-leaf; Spring-,3.9

in a Gute-remove .4l-111.1.'.bliebe-editer?.Potten-3%.

f'whereupon Ithey will be. yieldably. held; in. placefggfi Y of the member 3| where it is secured in place by swaging the edges of the cut, as indicated at 42, Fig. 6. The spring 39 has hair-engaging end portions 43 disposed in the slots 35 and 36, and the ends of the spring portions 43 are bent and retained inthe slots 31 and 38 to prevent hair from :being caught on said ends.

Operation of the curler shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is the same as that described above in connection with the curler structure |202.

Yet another form of the invention is shown in Fig. 8. In this figure the curler structure 3Ia is generally the same as the structure 3| shown in Eig-si 6 and 7. However, Ithe hand-grip portion of the curler structure 32a is constituted of a sleeve or annulus- 44 which is presstted over the central, por-tion of the curler structure 3 Ia, retaining the leaf spring 39 in assembled relation to Ithe curler. To accommodate the sleeve 44 the central portion 32h of the member 3 la is slightly reduced indiameter.

Variations andmodi-ications` may be made within the scope of. the claimsl and portions of tghe improvementsmay be used without others..

I claim:

1;. A hair. curler comprising anelongatestructure having a hand-gripportion-and having` a curling portion providedv with; abatir-receiving longitudinal slot extending to; one;y end of the structure, at least one,r side ot' said-t slotghaving-` a substantially iiat surface substantiallyA equal in widthto the diameter of sa-idrcurling-portion, said curling` portion having a; recess located; adjacent its slotted end inthe surface comprising vtheother side ofA the slot; and resilientmeans;extending; in said slot, constructed andra-rranged-J to normally press against the said flat surface, for engaging and yieldably-holding in the slot strands: of hair inserted for the purpose of curling.- said' hair around the structure, saidresilientmeans comprising an elongate spring: blade-havingA oneend disposed in. the said' recess of theslottedcurling portion.

2. A Vhair curler comprising a pair of'elongate coextensivey members havingY at sides disposed broadside to each other and having exposed, opposite convex sides, portions ofi-said dat sides being spaced to provide alongitudinal-'hair-receiving slot, one of said-membershaving aA recess 1n its at side adjacent the end of --thelslbtl and resilient means-comprisinga leaf spring extendingl in saidslot, forengaging andyieldably hclding strandsof hair` insertedf forthe` purposeof curling saidhair, said springhaving abaseportion extending between and securedl by'fthe `dat sides of' the members' andfhaving an end "remote from its base portion, disposed in.said'recessVVV -3. A hair curler'ccmprising anelongate structure having a handgrip portion' intermediatev its ends, and'- having curling' portions" disposed on oppositesidesjofsaid liancllgrip portion and' provided withi hair-receiving longitudinal `51m-,S eX

` tending to` their curling portions;

^ cesses located adjacent their slotted'ends; inthe V curled, and have other slots 3Iian138--providedy with closed ends, throughwhich slots there ex- Surfaces comprising the othgr; Sides of; thesslts;

structed` and arrangedto,V normallypress, against 1tiiesaid flat surfaces, ,i911- engaensand KVr1e.llfably holdingin the Slots Strands-:U-p-hirf inserted-,for

turessaidI re continuous strip of spring material ex-tending through said hand-grip portion, having ends disposed in said recesses.

4. A hair curler comprising an elongate structure having a hand-grip portion, and having a curling portion provided With a hair-receiving longitudinal slot extending to one end of the structure, said curling portion having a recess adjacent its free end, in one face of the slot; and resilient means extending in said slot for engaging and yieldably holding in the slot strands Iof hair inserted for the purpose of curling said hair around the structure, said structure being divided along a longitudinal line and being formed of two halves, and said resilient means comprising a leaf spring extending between and secured by the halves of the structure along the line of separation thereof at the hand-grip portion, the unsecured end oi the spring being disposed in the said recess.

5. A hair curler comprising an elongate structure having a hand-grip portion, and having a curling portion provided with a hair-receiving longitudinal slot extending to one end of the structure; and resilient means extending in said slot for engaging and yieldably holding in the slot strands of hair inserted for the purpose of curling said hair around the structure, the curling portion of said structure having a cut communicating and substantially coextensive with the hair-receiving slot, and said resilient means comprising a spring passing through said cut, said spring being secured to the hand-grip portion of the structure and having a free end disposed in said cut.

6. A hair curler comprising an elongate structure having a hand-grip portion, and having a curling portion provided with a hair-receiving longitudinal slot extending to one end of the structure; and resilient means extending in said slot for engaging and yieldably holding in the slot strands of hair inserted for the purpose of curling said hair around the structure, the hand-grip and curling portions of the structure having a common longitudinal cut communieating With the hair-receiving slot, and said resilient means comprising a spring disposed in a part of said cut, said spring being retained in place by swaged portions of the edges of the cut.

7. A hair curler comprising an elongate structure having a hand-grip portion intermediate its ends, and having curling portions disposed on opposite sides of said hand-grip portion and provided with hair-receiving longitudinal slots extending to their ends; and resilient means extending in said slots for engaging and yieldably holding in the slots strands of hair inserted for the purpose of curling said hair around the structure, said structure having an exterior longitudinal cut in the hand-grip and curling portions, said resilient means comprising a single continuous leaf spring extending through the hand-grip portion, said spring being disposed in said cut, and said hand-grip portion being swaged over the spring to retain it in place.

8. A hair curler comprising an elongate structure having a hand-grip portion intermediate its ends, and having curling portions disposed on opposite sides of said hand-grip portion and provided with hair-receiving longitudinal slots extending to their ends; and resilient means extending in said slots for engaging and yieldably holding in the slots strands of hair inserted for the purpose of curling said hair around the structure, said structure having a longitudinal cut in the hand-grip and curling portions, said resilient means comprising a single continuous leaf spring extending in and along the cut; and an annulus extending around the hand-grip portion, engaging and securing the spring in place.

JOHN PARRILLA.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,089,855 Plate Aug. 10, 1937 2,132,500 Visitacion Oct. l1, 1938 2,242,913 Ingrassia May 20, 1941 2,254,527 Hermsdorf Sept. 2, 1941 2,362,399 Plate Nov. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 123,173 Australia Jan. 16, 1947 795,596 France Jan. 8, 1936 

